Budget Backpacking in India

Backpacking in India in 2014 is different to what it was a few years ago. However, it can be as cheap as $8/day, or you can splurge up to $30 depending on the convenience. Jon and I initially set a $25/day or 1500 INR budget as a couple (meaning $12.5/person), then we withdraw our money weekly so we have $175/ week budget, with which we might decide to splurge at the beginning then become complete cheapskates by the end of the week… Or when we flash-pack and book a 3-star hotel then we will decide to have our breakfast buffet to last for lunch, so we only have to pay for our evening meal. Also, we’re not a museum and temple kind of traveler; we can check it out if it’s free or maybe pay for it if it’s something like the Taj Mahal in Agra or the Forts in Jaipur. It’s all up to you. The exchange rate in India is $1: 60 Rupee and £1: 100 Rupees.

Check out some of the cool and cheap tours you could do in , , and .

Different Accommodations in India

In India, there are different levels of accommodation depending on your budget; dorm style hostels are not as common as in South East Asia, but you can still find some in Goa, Mumbai, Jaipur and even in Varanasi which will cost you $5 to $8 per person. But if you’re traveling as a couple or a group of two or three friends it’s worth booking a private room in a hostel or guesthouse for $10 to $20 per room – AC or Non AC depending on the city. If you want to flash-pack with a little more convenience with a buffet breakfast, wifi and if you’re lucky a swimming pool, then expect to pay minimum $25.

If you’re traveling on your own, we’d suggest you choose the hostels where other solo backpackers stay. As a couple, we prefer to book a nicer guesthouse or a hotel with nice amenities and a strategic location. If you’re with a group of friends then just stay anywhere you want but better if you book it in advance – hostels tend to be more spread out than in SE Asia!

You can also couch surf, volunteer and work in hostels in exchange for a free bed. Also, only in India, you can afford to book a 5-star hotel for as little as $90/ night for a deluxe room with buffet breakfast. It’s good to sometimes splurge for a 5-star just to relax and recharge yourselves especially if you can’t-do it in your country as it’s too expensive.

You can see the pictures and price of where we stayed in India; please check our FB page:

Transportation

We are traveling India almost entirely via trains, not just because it’s super cheap, but it’s a much more authentic experience than flying. Also, we’re really impressed with the Indian railway system, in spite of some long delays which happen in every country. Since we usually travel via overnight sleeper train, we save a night per trip on accommodation costs.

There are four kinds of sleeper coach on the trains which are ideal for foreign tourists: the 1st class, 2ndclass, 3rd class and the non-ac sleeper which we prefer. To save a lot of money, I highly suggest you register yourselves with IRCTC so you can book your tickets in advance and to save money from the travel agent’s fee. When you book online, you’ll pay as little as $4 for an 8-hour journey for the non-ac to $10 with 3rd class AC. If you want to experience the real India and enjoy the scenery, we suggest you just book the non-AC sleeper train or the 3-tier AC.

Also, from the train stations, you better off look for the Prepaid Taxi or Rickshaw booth stand wherein they have a fixed rate to book your transport from the trains station to your pre-booked accommodation or the tourist street where you can find a place to stay. So to stop the hawkers or scammers, tell them that you’re looking for the Prepaid booth stand and they will all leave you alone.

Indian and Western Food

Before arriving in India, a lot of people warned us about “Delhi Belly.” So far we never experienced that despite eating street food and the food in trains but you must always be careful. In the north, you can have a budget meal for less than $1. Jon and I used to buy three dishes and share it with us; we have a budget of $5 per meal together or maybe more if we saved on the transportation and accommodation budget. Also, you can easily buy bottled water everywhere, and it should only cost 15 to 25 INR (about 50 cents)!

Sometimes when Jon and I are making a long-distance train trip, we buy bread, jam or butter, some chips or chocolates and just put it on our “foodie bag.” Yes, we have a foodie bag, which is useful if you’re having a break from Indian. Plus when we go to a restaurant or coffee shop we can sneak in our bottled water and some snacks if outside food is not allowed, but we badly needed to use their Wi-Fi for a day! (LOL) But don’t worry during train rides as there are a lot of food vendors passing by and some of the AC express trains have food included!

Tourist Entrance Fees

This all depends on your preference, for example in Agra as a foreign tourist you have to pay 750 INR or $ 12.5 for a one-day valid ticket in the Taj Mahal, entrance to the Agra Fort and some other tourist areas. Also in Jaipur, when you go to the Amer Fort you can purchase a combo ticket of $6 or 350 INR which includes several other famous forts/museums. If you have a student ID card, then you only paying 250 INR (almost $2 savings!)

However, if you plan to see these tourist things, also consider the price of the taxi or rickshaw for your sightseeing which is usually quite pricey, we had to pay $25 for an 8-hour sightseeing just for the 4-seater taxi, but luckily we were sharing with two other people.

Jonathan in Taj Majal!

Alcohol and partying

Jon and I haven’t partied like crazy in India, (it seems like we had enough of that in South East Asia) but if you want to the cost of a large Kingfisher beer in a shop is only $1. If you buy it from bars, then it’s more like $2 to $ 3 per bottle. Goa’s probably the cheapest place to drink, but in the larger cities like Mumbai and Kolkata, it gets a bit pricey.

Shopping

I can’t give you an estimated price as we’re long-term travelers and shopping is not ideal for us, but if you prefer to go shopping, then there’s the famous flee market in Anjuna, Goa. In Mumbai, there’s the Kolawa Causeway which is famous for tourists but if you want to buy cheaper price where the local Indians shop then head for the Crawford Market. If you plan to buy silk, then Varanasi is the best place to be. There are plenty of marble shops in Agra, but like any tourist hot spot, you’re likely to get cheap tourist stuff and high tourist prices!

Tourist visa cost depends on from where you’re from, the length of stay and number of entries you want. We planned to travel for a few months, so Jon and I had multiple entry visas for 6 months which we were able to get from the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. As a Philippines passport holder, I only paid $80 while Jon, who has a British Passport, paid around $135. There are countries, like the Philippines, who can avail a 30-day Visa-on-arrival from the airport and just pay $60, this is ideal if you plan to stay in India for less than a month but take note that you can only avail VOA twice every year.

Note: If you are looking to work in India, then you will need to apply for a PAN card, you can do so by visiting .

Airfare

For the cheap airfare, we always use different websites such as Skyscanner, Kayak and you can even go to the Airlines website to check if they have promotions. If you’re coming from the Middle East or Europe, you better fly into Mumbai or Delhi while if you’re coming from South East Asia then its way cheaper if you’ll be flying in at Chennai or Kolkata International Airport. Actually, we’re impressed how modern the International Airports in India and I bet you will like it too.

Check out some of the cool and cheap tours you could do in and .

Another tip before you book that flight, India is a massive country so if you’ll do a week or 2-weeks backpacking then you’re better off flying in and flying out at different airports unless you’re willing to fly domestically. For example, you’ll start a 2 week trip in the North and have a round trip ticket flying in and out of Kolkata (Calcutta) but you are planning to also visit Agra and New Delhi, then you might waste 2 days by just traveling by train.

Tips for Budgeting

If you’re traveling alone then it’s really easy to budget your money as you decide fully on where to stay, what to eat and which places to go. But if you’re traveling with a group where all of you will decide the things together it is suggested that you guys talk to each other before the trip on how much is your budget for everything, as it can easily get complicated once you’re on the road. As a couple, it’s very usual that one of you is in-charge with budgeting and tracking your spending to keep things on track, but of course, both of you will decide on how to spend your money. One major tip: We were much more spontaneous traveling in South East Asia where we didn’t pre-book places to stay, instead just finding somewhere when we arrived. We were able to do that in Goa, but if it’s high season it can really help to pre-book your accommodations in advance or at least have an idea on where to stay especially in Jaipur, Varanasi, Agra, and Kolkata. It’s not like arriving in Khao San Road in Bangkok where everything is all in the same place.

Last notes:

India is a nice country that should be on your travel bucket list. As a woman, yes it is safe but you must also take precautions. I highly suggest you travel with at least a friend to save money in your budget, for safety, and for more fun!

Hi, Neth, when we were in India, we have a budget of $25 per day it includes our food and transportation and that is really enough since transportation in India was really cheap too. For your accommodation, you can stay I hostel and it will cost you $25-$30 per night (with breakfast included, air conditioned rooms and with swimming pool too) or you can stay in a 5-star hotel for $90/night. if your coming from the Philippines, you can book a promo fare from different airlines just to save more. 🙂 I’m sure you’ll enjoy India as much as we did 😉

HI BZFLAG , Thanks for the information and for the tips. I’ve always wanted to go to India and see Taj Majal, but I’m a solor and totally clueless about how to prepare for the trip etc…your post helped me so much. I hope you don’t mind if I email you and ask you more questions. ☺

Visit: Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam. It will be a good experience. Do a backwater trip in Houseboat or Kayak, Shikkara. The backwater in Alleppey will be a unique experience. Houseboat will be a bit expensive.

I enjoyed your India post and have looked at your photos on Facebook. Do you have a list of places you visited or a map showing your route. How long did you stay and do you feel you had enough time in India?

Nice one Katrina! Loads of useful info. Will definitely check out the flea market in Anjuna next week! I’m still considering a trip to London in June so maybe our paths will cross before too long. Be nice to see you. Take care!

Oh thank you Mr Nigel!! There’s a nice night flee market in Anjuna too but it’s pricier than the day time! But you must also go cuz there are night shows! And visit the Cola beach in the south aside from Galgibaga and Patnem! And a spice farm!! Oh that awesome spice farm!!:)

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